


Tune In, Listen Up

by ResidentHesitant



Series: Traffic Report Timeline [4]
Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Album)
Genre: I guess???, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Supernatural Elements, Urban Legends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 03:56:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15677544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResidentHesitant/pseuds/ResidentHesitant
Summary: Rumor has it there's an abandoned fast food joint in Zone Five. Rumor has it the drive through speaker let's you hear the future. Rumor has it you'll hear how you die.Ghoul and Kobra want to know how true those rumors are.





	Tune In, Listen Up

**Author's Note:**

> this was highkey inspired by alice isnt dead s3 e8: speakers, listen to it its so good

There's a ghost town on the outskirts of Zone 5, past the Drac outpost, past the Red Line’s last exit, straddling the border of Five and Six in a space that doesn't really exist. It's the town Dracs won't enter, the town sand pups are told the Phoenix Witch is from, the town with the abandoned fast food place with the logo too sun-bleached to read.

There is no welcoming committee when the Trans-Am rolls into town. There are no stragglers running into abandoned houses as the Trans-Am drives down winding suburb streets. There isn't a person in sight as Kobra parks in the restaurant’s - could it even be called a restaurant? - parking lot, as Ghoul steps out of the passenger’s side and stares at the drive-thru speaker.

“There it is,” he says.

“Which one is this?” Kobra says, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun. 

“Future,” Ghoul says, “Hot Chimp says the one in East Three is parallel, and the one in North Six is past.” Kobra nods, drawing his blaster and approaching the box.

It's quiet. The space between the drive-thru speaker and the pickup window is infinite, miles away. They wait.

And wait.

And wait until the speaker crackles to life, static humming through the long dead machine. Kobra’s eyes widen behind his sunglasses, and he leans in closer, the sound becoming sharper.

_ "Bad news from the Zones, tumbleweeds…”  _

It's Dr. Death Defying, as if he's broadcasting right to the speaker. The static crackles in and out.

_ “Looks like J-zzzzz-ar and the Kobra K--zzzzz- clap with an Ext-zzzzzzzzz- went all Costa Ri-zzzzz--” _

Kobra steps back, covering his mouth with one gloved hand. Ghoul gives him a worried look, but leans closer as the static changes frequency. This time, it's not a radio broadcast. It's Ghoul’s voice, coming straight from the speaker. He's yelling.

_ “What's another dead killjoy?! What about me? What about Grace?!” _

_ “Ghoul, I--”  _

It's Party’s voice now, quieter. Ashamed. This other Ghoul cuts them off.

“ _ Yeah. I know. This fucking sucks and our team has less people and it’s terrible. But we’re... still here.” _

There's no sign of Kobra or Jet in the conversation. Maybe there was, but Kobra and Ghoul - the Ghoul in front of the speaker - missed it.

The static changes again. Ghoul stares at Kobra in shock.

“Don't- don't say it,” Kobra chokes out, eyes fixed on the speaker. A voice cuts through.

_ “Run!” _

It's Party again, as if they're right beside the speaker, but there are other sounds this time, alarms and the sound of boots on linoleum, shattering glass and blasters firing.

A blaster fires. This future Party gasps, and there is a dark chuckle followed by the sound of a body slumping to the floor. A young girl screams. 

_ “... Run.”  _

Party's voice is quiet now.

_ “Jet, take Grace and go!” _

Kobra startles again, his own voice coming through the speaker. More blasters fire. Glass shatters, the alarm keeps sounding. Kobra counts how many times a body hits the floor. It's a bloodbath.

He hears his own cry of pain, and a following  _ thud.  _ He hears doors slam, and the Ghoul in the speaker says a prayer to the Phoenix Witch. He's cut off by the sound of a blaster firing, growling a swear but not hitting the floor just yet. The Ghoul standing in front of the speaker is shaking. Kobra grabs Ghoul’s wrist loosely, dragging him back to the car, nearly running. He unlocks the Trans-Am, missing the lock a few times before getting it, and opens the passenger’s side door for Ghoul.

“This never happened, you get me?” Kobra says, teeth gritted. Ghoul nods, breathing ragged. “We found  _ nothing  _ out here. The speaker didn't even  _ exist.  _ It's nothing but an urban legend.” Ghoul nods again. 

Kobra pretends like the stinging in his eyes is from the dust in the car as they whip down the Red Line back towards Angel's Artery and the Diner.

**Author's Note:**

> comment/kudos if you enjoyed/have somethin to say!! <3 catch me on tumblr @probablypartypoison - i take requests if you got em!  
>  ~~i wrote this in the car on an 8 hour road trip~~


End file.
